It’s no secret that, when faced with between the decision to either adhere to vintage aesthetics or modernize a character design, the Club always chooses vintage. Such is the case with Slaughter’s Marauders Footloose who is sporting a near-identical color scheme to the 1989 vintage figure. The parts build should come as a surprise to no one as it is the same as was used for the 2012 Club membership incentive Footloose but the color scheme was a bit of a wild card. Continue reading →

No more speculation… thanks to the release of the GIJoeCon 2018 brochure we know the theme of the final G.I. Joe Collector’s Convention set: Python Peril – Marauders to the Rescue!

Here’s the official synopsis:

Python Peril: Marauders to the Rescue!

The COBRA PYTHON PATROL is an elite unit of troopers that have been handpicked for their various tactical specialties. They are expertly trained and equipped for stealth and infiltration missions. They wear unique camouflage grid uniforms to mask their presence, which confuses radar detection systems and allows them to accomplish sinister operations around the globe.

Using the latest radar absorbing materials and stealth technology, PYTHON PATROL 2.0 rears its ugly head with a surgical strike against their sworn enemy. Led by the nefarious MAJOR BLUDD, they have successfully captured a “Real American Hero” and key member of the G.I. JOE team.

The SLAUGHTER’S MARAUDERS unit is called into action to mount a dire rescue mission of their original commander. A fellow Marine Drill Instructor, SGT. SMASHER takes the squad leader position and selects highly specialized soldiers for a fast attack, ground assault into enemy territory to combat these devious COBRA forces.

PYTHON PATROL 2.0 is a dangerous unit, but it will take more than their special uniforms and slithering nastiness to get the best of the entire SLAUGHTER’S MARAUDERS team! Our 2018 exclusive 3 3/4-inch convention set contains a highly requested G.I. JOE team and updated COBRA army that are available for the first time in the modern era 25A action figure style. This special edition 15action-figure set includes:

Each of these great teams comes with their classic weapons,
accessories, figure stands and file cards!

Hmmm… very interesting indeed. It would seem that the Club is going to complete the Slaughter’s Marauders roster that was started several years ago in the 2011 Slaughter’s Marauders exclusive boxed set. That set included Falcon, Low-light, and Barbeque as well as Spirit. (Apparently someone wasn’t a fan of that Spirit release?) The addition of Footloose and Mutt round out most of the original team– minus Sgt. Slaughter, of course. In his stead is another drill instructor known as “Sgt. Smasher.” (After all, that was the name of his international repaint.) Now, could this be a repaint of the 2010 SDCC Sarge under a different name for copyright purposes? Continue reading →

On Monday, August 14, 2017 MOST of the Hasbro SDCC exclusive items will hit HasbroToyShop.com!

“And there came a day unlike any other…”

No, we’re not talking about the first ever team-up of Marvel’s Avengers! Monday is going to be Summer Exclusives Day at HasbroToyShop.com. That’s right– it’s that “magical time” (Read: FRUSTRATING) day in which fans from across the world will all be hitting HasbroToyShop.com and using their F5 keys to refresh their browsers in order to get the items they want.

Have no fear, Joe fans! While we don’t know WHEN everything is going to drop– we do now WHAT the URL’s of the exclusive items will be. To save yourself some time and some hasty item searches, here are all of the items and the pricepoints on each that will be dropping on Monday:

SDCC 2017 is in full swing and G.Hasbro’s annual G.I. Joe exclusives are very much on everyone’s mind! However, it would seem that those of us who are stuck at home know just when the sought-after comic con items will be dropping on HasbroToyShop.com.

Included in each product description was the note “available 8/14”. Apparently that day, the second Monday in August, will be when fans from around the globe will be hitting the site, frantically hitting F5 to refresh their screens in the hopes of completing their transactions before the items sell out. While the exclusives of the past few years have been pretty easy to obtain, there’s something about this year’s two G.I. Joe-related SDCC items that feels very different.

I’m not going to lie– I’m giddy over the prospect of BOTH of these sets, for very different reasons. Nostalgia plays a heavy hand in my love for both sets but I’d be hard-pressed right now to choose one over the other if I had to prioritize dropping one in my cart first. One one had there’s the AMAZING recreation/update to the Cobra Missile Command Headquarters but on the other hand there’s the IDW Hasbro Comic Crossover Mega-Set that includes Renegades Roadblock, ROM the Space Knight, and the Micronauts. Decisions, decisions.

Joe Con 2017 Day 2 is now one for the history books! However, we’ve got a bit to talk about in today’s Armchair Coverage recap.

To start– let’s talk souvenir items! Thanks to Mike Tinnel of Just Another G.I. Joe Show we received an update to last night’s story about the souvenir item list. This included confirmation and pricing for all of the items.

This bad boy is one of the rarest of the rare– a cardboard playset that was released exclusive to Sears back in 1982 when there was virtually no other product available. It came with Cobra Commander, a Cobra Officer, and a Cobra Trooper along with a diorama that seemed inspired by Ken Adam’s designs from the James Bond franchise.

It was gorgeous. It was also fragile as all get out, due to being cardboard.

Here’s the details direct from Hasbro:

G.I. Joe Cobra Missile Command Headquarters

(Ages 5 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $49.99/Available at Booth #3329 at Comic-Con International in San Diego)

Cobraaaa! One of the rarest of all G.I. Joe playsets is back! The G.I. Joe Cobra Missile Command Headquarters, this convention exclusive is a faithful reproduction of the original and iconic Cobra Missile Command Headquarters Set from 1982. It recreates the classic design of the original in exacting detail with a weathered finished, following the original die-lines with all new re-created graphics. Assemble the highly detailed, sturdy graphic board components to build a headquarters that includes missile base, missile support systems, cruise missile, control panel, movable elevator, work platform, and seats. The set also comes with reproductions of the three figures that came with the original set – Cobra Commander (with a logo that is an homage to the original, first version Cobra Commander logo), Cobra Officer, and Cobra Trooper. Set includes file cards for the figures, as well as a file card holder for the cards. The G.I. Joe Cobra Missile Command Headquarters will be for sale during San Diego Comic-Con 2017. Following the convention, a limited number will be available on HasbroToyShop.com .

Late last night, Mike broke open his convention set and posted a series of videos showcasing the figures that comprise the Force of Battle 2017! He even brought along vintage counterparts of the figures for comparison purposes. (I wonder what the TSA made of Avalanche, Blaster, Blocker, Dodger, Knockdown and Maverick.) Joe Con 2017 probably raises a few eyebrows at security checkpoints.

I’ll be embedding all the parts of his review below for your viewing pleasure as they go live this morning!

Joe Con 2017 has begun and the golden ticket holders have picked up their sets. Thanks to Mike Tinnel of Just Another G.I. Joe Show, we have some information on this year’s souvenir list. So, without further adieu:

Over at GeneralsJoes.com, Justin has some screen shots from the comic that back up a lot of our guesses here.

In addition, the rumor is that Backstop may be the parachute figure this year. This makes sense given the design of the Joe Con 2016 Static Line whose head was an amalgamation of two design.

Lastly, here’s a quick look at this year’s set courtesy of Mike Tinnel’s cell phone:

For those who purchased bagged sets, it’s being reported that three of the figures are packaged sans accessories. The Club will be providing the missing pieces to purchasers at a later date. However, if you bought a set on eBay, be sure to check with the seller to make certain that they will ship you the missing gear!

We’ll have more information as it becomes available but this is what we know thus far from the first night of Joe Con 2017!